Gran Reserva Imperial
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 10 to 30 years from the vintage release, though outstanding vintages can continue to evolve beautifully for 40 years or more.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Classic Spanish roasted lamb (cordero asado), grilled venison or other wild game, and well-aged Manchego cheese.
✨ Technical Specifications
First created in the 1920s, CVNE's 'Imperial' is one of Spain's most illustrious wine icons, originally named after a special 'imperial pint' bottle produced for the British market. This Gran Reserva is only made in exceptional vintages, sourced from low-yielding, bush-trained old vines in the Rioja Alta sub-region, particularly around the village of Villalba. The blend is anchored by Tempranillo, with small additions of Graciano and Mazuelo. It is aged for at least two years in French and American oak casks followed by an extended period of bottle aging in CVNE's historic Eiffel-designed cellars in Haro. The result is a masterclass in traditional Rioja: a wine of incredible elegance, showing complex layers of dried forest fruits, leather, sweet spices, and cigar box, underpinned by a fine, mineral-etched acidity.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1879 by brothers Raimundo and Eusebio Real de Asúa, the Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) is one of Rioja's foundational and most prestigious historic bodegas, headquartered in the iconic Barrio de la Estación in Haro, Spain. Still under the stewardship of the founding family's descendants, CVNE harmoniously bridges traditional winemaking heritage with pioneering technical innovation across its distinct estates and cellars. The estate is celebrated for crafting world-renowned, age-worthy wines characterized by elegance, structure, and balance, predominantly driven by Tempranillo and native Riojan varieties. Among its celebrated portfolio are legendary classic benchmarks such as Imperial, Viña Real, and the single-estate icon Viñedos del Contino.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Mazuelo